Just like the author says in her preface, I honestly didn’t think I needed another Cinderella retelling. However, this turned out to be something I loved to read. This Cinderella story about Eugenie and her seemingly kind stepmother Marielle has a twist and is unlike any other Cinderella story I have ever seen.
The author’s writing in this was amazing, is amazing! She creates a lot of suspense and tension that does good to the story. In some parts, it feels like you’re reading a suspense story rather than a fairytale romance. It’s a strange combination of genres but the author pulls it off very well.
(Spoiler) My favorite part of her writing was Marielle’s betrayal and overall sense of uneasiness she gives off. Even in the beginning when she was all nice, something felt off. I chalked it up to years of recognizing the stepmother being the villain in Cinderella and not being comfortable with the opposite but it turned out I was right.
For Eugenie, I think this tells a story of appearances deceive which is also kind of the whole point of Cinderella. She goes to a ball looking like a cultured noble woman or even royal when really she’s treated like a peasant in her own home. And even despite that treatment, she’s not actually a peasant, she’s the rightful heir and noble woman of the estate.
This theme is seen with Marielle and the fairy godmother also. Marielle, although seemingly kind and beautiful, is evil and tries to get rid of Eugenie. On the other hand, although in the world the author created fairies are dangerous, it’s Eugenie’s fairy godmother who ultimately ends up saving her life.
Overall, this was a very good and different Cinderella retelling than I’m quite used to. The author did a good job in mixing genres. Though, this does tend to lean toward romance more than suspense. The characters were well written and the twist was one I wouldn’t have seen coming even if it was standing right in front of me. This was certainly a Cinderella retelling I’m glad I read and very glad the author wrote. Thank you for your hard work.
Thank you for reading my review.
Points: 2943
Reviews: 36
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